IN THE WINCHESTER COUNTY COURT Claim No: 3QT19970

Wincheste Co!nt" Co!t

The #a$ Co!ts
Wincheste
Ham%shie
SO&3 9E#
T!es'a"( 1)
th
*e+!a" &01,
- E * O R E:
.ISTRICT /U.0E STEW1RT
2222222222
.R3 41RTIN #ON0.EN
5Claimant6
73
4ON1RCH 1IR#INES
5.e8en'ant6
2222222222
Tansci%t 8om an O88icial Co!t Ta%e Reco'in93
Tansci%t %e%ae' +":
4: Tansci+in9 Se7ices
&9 The Conco!se( -!nel -!siness Cente(
-letchle"( 4ilton :e"nes( 4:& &ES
Tel: 0190)2;,00;7 *a<: 0190)23;=9=)
.> 100031 -letchle"
O88icial Co!t Ta%e Tansci+es3
2222222222
THE C#1I41NT a%%eae' IN ?ERSON3
THE .E*EN.1NTS $ee not %esent an' not e%esente'3
2222222222
/U.04ENT
51s a%%o7e'6
2222222222
Tuesday, 18
th
February 2014
DISTRICT JUDGE STEWART:
13 This is a small claim +o!9ht +" 43 4atin #on9'en a9ainst 4onach
1ilines( the 'e8en'ant in this action( +" 7it!e o8 his claim 8om iss!e'
on 1&
th
*e+!a" &0133 This matte $as +o!9ht on 8o heain9 +" me(
an' I ha' hea' an' 'etemine'( I tho!9ht( the entie action late last
"ea $hen I sat3 The %osition ho$e7e is this: that the matte $as
+e8oe me on 1
st
Octo+e( an' it $ent %at hea' !ntil17th .ecem+e3
On that occasion( the 'e8en'ants then +o!9ht thei $itnesses to co!t
an' the" $ee coss2e<amine' %o%el" +" the claimant3 It a%%eae'
that that $ee some 'oc!ments that $ee still o!tstan'in9 that the
co!t e@!ie' the 'e8en'ant to %o7i'e3 1lso( it a%%eae' that since
$e ha' 'ealt $ith the +!lA o8 the e7i'ence( all that $as e@!ie' 8om
the %aties $as the missin9 'oc!ments 8om the 'e8en'ant( to9ethe
$ith the %atiesB $itten s!+missions3 I 9a7e a 'ate 8o those to +e
8ile' an' se7e'( an' it a%%eas that $hat has ha%%ene' is( that thee
has +een a $holesale 'ise9a' o8 that o'e +" the 'e8en'ants3
&3 That o'e o8 17
th
.ecem+e ea' as 8ollo$s: CThat the 'e8en'ant
shall 8ile an' se7e 8!the 'oc!ments +" , %3m3 on &&
n'
.ecem+e3D
That in elation to thei co!nsel $as the timescale that $as necessa"
to 9et these 'oc!ments an' also to 8ile the $itten s!+missions3 The
claimant $as to e%l" to that +" 8ilin9 his $itten s!+missions +" 30
th

.ecem+e3 On 31
st
.ecem+e $hen I $as sittin9 at this co!t( I $as
then sho$n an e2mail 8om .3 #on9'en $hich sa"s as 8ollo$s E this
$as a''esse' to the co!t:
C*!the to m" lette o8 "este'a"( %lease +e a'7ise' that the
'e8en'ant has no$ $itten to me to con8im that 'es%ite
/!'9e Ste$atBs o'e o8 17
th
.ecem+e( the" 'o not inten' to
se7e an" 8!the 'oc!ments to the co!t3D
That $as not ho$e7e not comm!nicate' +" 4onach to the co!t3
CThis incl!'es the Fe7ent %int o!tB 'oc!ment( $hich $as
'isclose' to me +!t not a%%aentl" shae' $ith "o!sel7es3
1s I maAe e8eence to this 'oc!ment in m" o$n s!+mission( I
attach it 8o the co!tBs con7enience3D
.3 #on9'en then 9oes on:
CI am 9ate8!l 8o the e@!ita+le manne in $hich /!'9e
Ste$at has mana9e' the %ocee'in9s3 I sho!l' ho$e7e liAe
to e9iste m" concen an' 8!station at the +eha7io! o8 the
'e8en'ant3 1t o! heain9 on 17
th
.ecem+e( the 'e8en'ant
e@!este' an a'Go!nment %ecisel" in o'e to %o7i'e 8!the
in8omation to the co!t as thei $itnesses $ee !na+le to
ans$e +asic @!estions a+o!t the iss!es !n'e e<amination3
It is no$ clea that the 'e8en'ant ha' no intention o8 %o7i'in9
this a''itional e7i'ence3D
.3 #on9'en then 9oes on to sa" that this is the secon' occasion on
$hich the 'e8en'ant has e@!este' an a'Go!nment3
33 So the %osition is( ha7in9 concl!'e' the small claims heain9 $hich
itsel8 $ent %at hea' !ntil 17
th
.ecem+e( the co!t $as e<%ectin9 the
'e8en'ants to 8ile thei $itten s!+missions an' these othe
'oc!ments( an' the %aties co!l' ha7e commente' !%on it an' the
co!t co!l' ha7e then %ocee'e' to 9i7e G!'9ment3 The co!t $as
ham%ee' in that( +eca!se the co!t 'i' then ecei7e' this e2mail 8om
.3 #on9'en( @!ite a%%o%iatel"( an' it seeme' to me that I ha' not
ecei7e' an" o8 the in8omation so!9ht 8om the 'e8en'ant3 Ho$ in
those cic!mstances in that athe c!io!s an' +iHae a7en!e that
ha' +een ceate' +" the 'e8en'ant( $as the co!t to %ocee'I
,3 The co!t then ecei7e' a lette on ;
th
*e+!a" 8om 4onach( sa"in9
that the" 'i' not inten'( +eca!se thei o88ices $ee in #!ton( to atten'
in Staines3 Q!ite $hat Staines Co!nt" Co!t has to 'o $ith the
Wincheste Co!nt" Co!t +e99as +elie83 It is o+7io!sl" an eo( +!t it
9oes on to sa" altho!9h it is a 'iections a%%ointment to'a" an' the"
ae not atten'in9( the" 'o not act!all" sa" $h" the" ae not atten'in93
This $as set +" the co!t( it $as not set +" the %aties3 The 'iections
heain9 o8 to'a" is a case mana9ement heain9 to $hich the
'e8en'ants( liAe the claimant( sho!l' ha7e atten'e'3 The" sa" the"
ae not 9oin9 to atten'( the" thinA it is conta" to the inteests o8
G!stice( an' a 'is%o%otionate cost3 The" also e8e to this as a
%elimina" heain9( $hich it is not3 Whoe7e $ote the lette o8 ;
th

*e+!a"( m!st ha7e +een con8!sin9 this $ith anothe heain9 in some
othe Co!nt" Co!t in7ol7in9 these 'e8en'ants3 That is o8 no concen
to me3
=3 I ha7e to 'eal $ith this case in %o%otion to the eso!ces a7aila+le to
the %aties an' the s!m that is at staAe3 .3 #on9'en has %!t man"
liti9ants to shame( %o8essional liti9ants( +" the $a" in $hich he has
%e%ae' his o$n +!n'les an' met the a9!ments o8 the 'e8en'ants3
The 'e8en'ants ha7e sim%l" i9noe' m" o'e o8 17
th
.ecem+e3
The" ha7e also i9noe' the Notice o8 Heain9( an' ha7e 8aile' to
atten' to'a"3 The net es!lt is that the" can ha'l" com%lain that I
no$ ente G!'9ment a9ainst them to stiAe o!t thei 'e8ence( +eca!se
the" ha7e 8aile' to com%l" $ith that o'e an' the" ha7e also 8aile' to
atten' to'a"( an' sen' a lette as con8!se' as it $as a+o!t $h" the"
ae not hee( sim%l" $ill not 'o3 Those $ho li7e +" the s$o'( it
seems to me m!st 'ie +" the s$o'3 The" ha7e ca!se' this an' the"
$ill %a" the costs o8 the claimant( as I ha7e sai'3 1cco'in9l"( thee
$ill +e an o'e as 8ollo$s: thee $ill +e G!'9ment 8o the s!m claime'
o8 J&(,7=( the 'e8en'ants $ill %a" the inteest o8 J3;)390( the" $ill %a"
the co!t 8ees inc!e' +" the claimant o8 J&)=( an' the" $ill %a" the
claimantBs e<%enses o8 J1=0( totallin9 J3(&7)390( $hich the" $ill %a"
+" 10
th
4ach &01,3
22222222222